The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is funding seven Disaster Health Information Outreach and Collaboration Projects in a new program which began September 2011. The program supports efforts of libraries and other organizations to work together to improve use of disaster medicine and public health information by agencies working in any phase of all-hazards management.

Congratulations to the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque, NM!

The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center will partner with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and  Informatics Center and University of New Mexico Center for Disaster Medicine. The project will develop a framework for extending the role of librarians and informationists in providing access to the resources of the National Library of Medicine and other federal and state sources to the National Disaster Medical System and other federal response entities. The project will also develop and implement processes for improving local emergency responders’ ready access to quality disaster management information at time of need.

More information about the award and other recipients is available at: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/2011disasteroutreachawards.html .

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is accepting applications for its Associate Fellowship program, a one-year training program for recent MLS graduates and librarians early in their career. The program is designed to provide a broad foundation in health sciences information services, and to prepare librarians for future leadership roles in health sciences libraries and in health services research. The Associate Fellows are introduced to a wide range of technologies and skills used in managing information at a national library.

In the first half of the year, a formal curriculum offers exposure to library operations, research and development, intramural and extramural research, development and lifecycle of NLM’s web-based products and services and the extensive outreach and education program reaching consumers, special populations, health professionals and librarians. In the second half of the year, Associate Fellows have the opportunity to choose projects based on real-world problems proposed by library divisions and work with librarians and library staff over a six-seven month period. Successful projects have led to peer-review publications and to services that have become a regular part of library operations.

The Fellowship offers:

• A stipend equivalent to a U.S. Civil Service salary at the GS-9 level ($51,630 in 2011)
• Additional financial support for the purchase of health insurance
• Some relocation funding

Who is eligible?
All U.S. and Canadian citizens who will have earned a MLS or equivalent degree in library/information science from an ALA-accredited school by August 2012. Both recent graduates and librarians early in their career are welcome to apply. Priority is given to U.S. citizens.

Applications and additional information are available on the web at www.nlm.nih.gov/about/training/associate/.  Application deadline is February 3, 2012.   Between four and seven fellows will be selected for the program.

Commonly used three-drug regimen for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis found harmful. National Institutes of Health stops one treatment arm of trial; other two treatments to continue.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/alerts/2011_nhlbi_ifp.html

A new National Library of Medicine (NLM) Traveling Exhibition, The Henkel Physicians: A Family’s Life in Letters, is now available for institutions to borrow. The exhibit features a collection of correspondence from a family of physicians in 19th Century Virginia. The letters document the working lives of the Henkel physicians as they share medical cases, professional rivalries and the experience of the Civil War.

Information on all of the traveling exhibitions can be found on the NLM Exhibition Program website.

In Tox Town’s City Scene http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/flash/city/flash.php you can now find a Funeral Home among the businesses.

Funeral home employees are exposed to a number of health and safety concerns. Go directly to the new location page to learn about possible employee exposure to various chemicals, including formaldehye, solvents and bloodborne pathogens:  http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/locations.php?id=145

En español: Funeraria http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/locations.php?id=146

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) are pleased to announce the launch of MedPrint, a national cooperative medical serials print retention program, which will ensure the preservation of and continued access to selected biomedical journals in print. The MedPrint program is open to all U.S. libraries in DOCLINE.

Approximately 250 journals selected from Abridged Index Medicus® (AIM) and scanned PubMed Central® (PMC) titles will serve as the first set of materials to preserve in print. MedPrint participants will volunteer to retain one or more titles included on the list for up to 25 years, ending in 2036. The goal of the program is to get commitments for 12 copies of each title with widespread geographic distribution. NLM’s copy will be the 13th.

A formal agreement will be signed between MedPrint participants and NLM. Commitment to titles beyond the original 250 is encouraged, but will not be included in the agreement.

A title list and the formal agreement document are available from the MedPrint website.

Chemical emergencies are high risk events that require first responders to quickly make a series of complex decisions in order to minimize the risk of injury to their patients and themselves. The tools in Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management (CHEMM) provide a comprehensive resource to help responders make safer decisions and provide them with the right information when it is needed most. CHEMM enables first responders & other healthcare providers and planners to plan for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of mass-casualty incidents involving accidental or terrorist chemical releases. CHEMM is available online at http://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/.

As a web-based resource, CHEMM can be downloaded in advance, so that it would be available during an event if the Internet is not accessible. It provides evidence-based information and guidance on a wide variety of topics, including quick chemical identification, acute patient care guidelines, and initial event activities.

CHEMM is the result of collaborative efforts between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) – Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations (OPEO), and the National Library of Medicine – Division of Specialized Information Services (NLM\SIS), as well as many medical, emergency response, toxicology, industrial hygiene, and other experts.

EMForum.org will host a one hour presentation and interactive discussion Wednesday, July 13, 2011, beginning at 11:00 CT. The topic will focus on libraries as community resources in the context of disasters and emergencies. The American Library Association, the National Library of Medicine, and other organizations within the library community are supporting efforts to tap the potential of libraries, librarians, and information services to aid in the nation’s disaster management efforts.

Guest presenter will be John C. Scott, founder of the Center for Public Service Communications and Senior Consultant to the National Library of Medicine on its development of a Disaster Management Research Center as recommended by its Long Range Plan (2006-2016). Mr. Scott has provided consulting services to the private sector and numerous government agencies in the specialized field of applying telecommunications and information technologies to reduce health disparities, to improve health services to underserved and disenfranchised individuals and communities and to improve the collection and sharing of scientific, technical and community knowledge to reduce human vulnerability to natural hazards.

For instructions on how to join the presentation, and see the Background Page for related materials and Instructions for Live Meeting. If this will be your first time to participate, please check your connection in advance by clicking on the Live Meeting Link. The Live Meeting client must be used in order to access the audio.

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) is pleased to announce the 2011-2012 year of the leadership program jointly sponsored by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and AAHSL. The NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program is focused on preparing emerging leaders for the position of library director in academic health sciences libraries.

Fellows will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in a variety of learning settings, including exposure to leadership in another environment. They will be paired with mentors who are academic health sciences library directors. In addition to the individual relationship with their mentors, fellows benefit from working collaboratively with other fellows and mentors. Experienced program faculty and mentors will provide content and facilitation for the cohort. The program takes advantage of flexible scheduling and an online learning community to minimize disruption to professional and personal schedules. The sponsors will provide financial support for a small cohort of fellows and will underwrite travel and meeting expenses.

The program is designed to:

• Introduce fellows to leadership theory and practical tools for implementing change at organizational and professional levels;
• Introduce fellows to critical issues facing academic health sciences libraries;
• Develop meaningful professional relationships between fellows and mentors that give fellows access to career guidance and support;
• Expose fellows to another academic health sciences library and its institutional leadership under the guidance of their mentors;
• Examine career development and provide models of directors to fellows;
• Create a cohort of leaders who will draw upon each other for support throughout their careers;
• Promote diversity in the leadership of the profession; and
• Offer recognition to emerging leaders and enhance the competitive standing of fellows as they pursue director positions.

Deadline for Applications is August 1, 2011

For more information about the program, please contact Carolyn Lipscomb, Program Manager, AAHSL Future Leadership Committee.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the selection of its 2011-2012 associate fellows class. Four associate fellows will join NLM in the fall 2011 to begin the year-long training program.

NLM’s Associate Fellowship Program is a one-year postgraduate training fellowship at the NLM in Bethesda, Maryland, with an optional second year program component. The program is designed to provide a broad foundation in health sciences information services, and to prepare librarians for future leadership roles in health sciences libraries and in health services research. The Associate Fellows are introduced to a wide range of technologies and skills used in managing information at a national library.

The 2011-2012 Fellows:

• Bethany Harris (MSI with a specialization in Library and Information Science from the University of Michigan).
• Michele Mason-Coles (MLS from St. John’s University, Queens, New York)
• Suzy Roy (MLS from Indiana University, Indianapolis)
• Jessi Van Der Volgen (MLIS from University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Interested in learning more about the Associate Fellows program?  A short presentation on the Associate Fellows program is available and includes a discussion by current 1st and 2nd year Associates about the application and interview process.